**help please!** Ground and lunging manners

[Eleanor2003]

So I have recently bought a new horse and he’s been at a livery yard 30 mins away from me. Because of that and not being able to do him everyday, we are on a part livery where his is mucked out, turned out, rugged ect. by them.

He is a 16.3 Irish Draught and is 8 in March.

Now I am no pro and this is my first horse (I have had a pony) so I’m very keen on having support in the yard.

Yesterday I was approached by the yard manager saying that my horse had taken off to the field. He had pushed his shoulder into her, turned his neck away and then taken off. Notably in his bridle (and then snapping the nose band ?). Now her solution was to put him in a Chifney for a bit and she did try him in it and he “turned into a mouse” so thought that he had been used to it.
He is also very bargy in the stable.

Then with lunging his is completely the opposite! Always having to chivvy him on and using both voice and whip to keep him going- I’m sweating more than he is! And at the moment he has no saddle so that’s the only form of exercise I can do with him. (Also any tips on how to actually get him into canter is also appreciated!! ???‍)

So I need all the advice!! I would love to do some ground work and have started using the knowledge that my old instructor gave me as well as doing some research. Maybe we will eventually start doing Natural Horsemanship but for now I would love some manners!! I bought this horse because he was as safe as houses! ?

I’m aware he’s only been here since Tuesday but I would like to establish manners ASAP!!

 

[paddi22]

kelly marks has a good book called 'perfect manners' .that has some really simple good exercises in it.

 

[TPO]

Richard Maxwell book Maximise your Horsemamship. Lots of his videos online too

Warwick Schiller- free videos on YouTube

Basically teaching pressure and release

I've used them before I knew better but no longer a fan of chiffneys. I'd much rather do the groundwork training to teach manners.

How much turnout does he get daily? How much hard feed is he getting? Might be that he needs less energy in and more time to burn it off outside

 

[Goldenstar]

Sounds like a normal naughty ID to me .
He needs routine and work.
If he is lazy to lunge don’t it won’t help him get on him and hack him and hack him and hack him keep work his varied and keep him tired .
ID ‘s thrive on work and short rations they are very often naughty to lead .Fatty is nearly 20 and I still don’t trust him his favourite trick is to do a runner into the school and then do laps of bolting and bucking .This is extra funny because he would never work in a school he was as lazy as a Shetland in a riding school he’s a hilarious horse

 

[Eleanor2003]

Richard Maxwell book Maximise your Horsemamship. Lots of his videos online too

Warwick Schiller- free videos on YouTube

Basically teaching pressure and release

I've used them before I knew better but no longer a fan of chiffneys. I'd much rather do the groundwork training to teach manners.

How much turnout does he get daily? How much hard feed is he getting? Might be that he needs less energy in and more time to burn it off outside

he’s currently out in the day and in at night. Not fed that much- probably a scoop in total? He does have ad lib hay but they all do

 

[TPO]

he’s currently out in the day and in at night. Not fed that much- probably a scoop in total? He does have ad lib hay but they all do

A stubbs scoop? And of what?

Might be a high sugar mix or an ingredient amiss. How's your grass and/or is hay put out in the field?

How long has he been at the yard and when did problems handling him start?

Could be he's hungry as nothing in the grass so wanting in quickly? A magnesium supplement/straight magnesium may help too.

 

[Goldenstar]

You probably not going to able to give him add Lib hay he will end up fat and cross and then lame .
I have three ID’s and ID/ Clydesdale non of them get ad-lib forage and they hunt it’s a constant battle to stop them getting fat .

 

[Eleanor2003]

Sounds like a normal naughty ID to me .
He needs routine and work.
If he is lazy to lunge don’t it won’t help him get on him and hack him and hack him and hack him keep work his varied and keep him tired .
ID ‘s thrive on work and short rations they are very often naughty to lead .Fatty is nearly 20 and I still don’t trust him his favourite trick is to do a runner into the school and then do laps of bolting and bucking .This is extra funny because he would never work in a school he was as lazy as a Shetland in a riding school he’s a hilarious horse

I would but as I mentioned I don’t have a saddle- we may not have one until the 22nd or later due to not many saddlers round us either having enough saddles or a saddle that will fit both of us! So trying to find ways of keeping him focused and doing something useful on the lunge along with teaching some decent manners!

He did like the poles I had out the other night but I’m aware that will get boring quite easily! I would take him on a hack in-hand but he’s not got the manners to do that yet so I wouldn’t trust him as we have a big road near us.

The yard is very routine based and like to religiously keep to a routine so he’s been in one since he arrived on Tuesday evening- hopefully that will also help and to be fair in comparison his first day he is better but I would like to be able to trust him

 

[Eleanor2003]

A stubbs scoop? And of what?

Might be a high sugar mix or an ingredient amiss. How's your grass and/or is hay put out in the field?

How long has he been at the yard and when did problems handling him start?

Could be he's hungry as nothing in the grass so wanting in quickly? A magnesium supplement/straight magnesium may help too.

he was on a big feed and has been downsized as yard won’t feed the rugby ball sized feed he was on! I believe it’s literally the most basic feed of chaff and pony nuts- nothing special. Handling issues are only to and sometimes from the field I believe so maybe it’s that he’s very hungry? He does have food in stable tho… he’s only been at the yard since Tuesday as we only bought him Friday (and already having issues lol)

He does also find waiting outside the arena waiting for another horse to finish or generally standing still in the stable an issue as well so I’m thinking basic manners are in order

 

[Eleanor2003]

That may be it… but he apparently used to have as lib hay + 2 big feeds and never had an issue! In fact the vet who specialises in purchase vetting said he was one of the soundest horses she had seen! So I’m thinking more of the fact that he gets to stretch his legs?

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Nothing wrong with booking some lessons on establishing ground work. He's new to you and as a new owner I'm betting it's not something you've had many lessons in. Add to that he's just moved homes and will be testing his new boundaries.

I invested in them when I got my first horse and it was absolutely worth it.

 

[AmyMay]

I don’t think you do have issues particularly. Just a new horse in a new environment. You need to find out exactly what he’s being fed - this is your horse after all.

 

[fetlock]

I would but as I mentioned I don’t have a saddle- we may not have one until the 22nd or later due to not many saddlers round us either having enough saddles or a saddle that will fit both of us! So trying to find ways of keeping him focused and doing something useful on the lunge along with teaching some decent manners!

He did like the poles I had out the other night but I’m aware that will get boring quite easily! I would take him on a hack in-hand but he’s not got the manners to do that yet so I wouldn’t trust him as we have a big road near us.

The yard is very routine based and like to religiously keep to a routine so he’s been in one since he arrived on Tuesday evening- hopefully that will also help and to be fair in comparison his first day he is better but I would like to be able to trust him

He's only been on the yard a couple of days and having to cope with the new surroundings, routine, stable companions, people, and also straight into some sort of arena work. I'd give him a few more days to acclimatise, doing nothing more than grooming/attention and turn out. The manners may well then soon sort themselves out unaided.

 

[Eleanor2003]

**update**

we are doing better! I did a small bit of pressure and release on the ground so when I say “back” he actually goes back as well as “walk on” ect. I think he knew those quite well as after 10 or so minutes he did very well!


Stand is still VERY MUCH a WIP but he’s getting the idea that when I say stand, i expect almost dope on a rope not to attention and looking at everyone else ??‍?

I was mostly surprised by the fact that when I said “over” in the stable he didn’t move! Tried again with the que in the arena where we did the halt and walk on to get into the gist and he still had no clue!

So did the same theory but placed the que just where by heel would go for a leg yield as “that will be a useful tool later”. And he soon worked out that if he took a step away from the pressure (not backwards only sideways), then I would remove the pressure. Lo and behold I now have an “over” command!! Still a little shabby when we have distractions and sometimes he does about 5 steps ? but we’re learning!

His kryptonite is cuddles (like you start petting and he will fall asleep, wobble his lip and deploy the lipstick within 30 seconds ??‍) so I’ve tried to use that to my advantage ?

 

[Elno]

That may be it… but he apparently used to have as lib hay + 2 big feeds and never had an issue! In fact the vet who specialises in purchase vetting said he was one of the soundest horses she had seen! So I’m thinking more of the fact that he gets to stretch his legs?

Yes but when he had ad lib hay and 2 big feeds maybe he was exerciced a lot more? A bit of lunging is hardly any work....

Less feed, more work usually solves a lot of problems I learned when it comes to horses.

 

[Regandal]

Glad things are improving. I’d be wary of the pony nuts, some have crappy ingredients.